


Can't help falling in love with you

by Bisexualtheatredisaster (Sogoodyoullthinkits_italian)



Series: Musical oneshots [2]
Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kinda, Other people are mentioned just not important to this story, Redlyn for the win, Ricky gets kinda annoying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:53:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23254996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sogoodyoullthinkits_italian/pseuds/Bisexualtheatredisaster
Summary: Big Red never liked admitting crushes.At first.He's always feel a nervousness around Ashlyn. Probably since 8th grade when the two first met in math class. He forgot a pencil, and Ricky was too busy making googly eyes at Nini Salazar-Roberts and forgot one as well. He had the choice between asking the kid who picks his nose and eats his boogers and a girl with a jean jacket. The answer was pretty obvious.
Relationships: Big Red/Ashlyn Caswell
Series: Musical oneshots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1551910
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	Can't help falling in love with you

* * *

Big Red never liked admitting crushes. 

_At first._

He's always feel a nervousness around Ashlyn. Probably since 8th grade when the two first met in math class. He forgot a pencil, and Ricky was too busy making googly eyes at Nini Salazar-Roberts and forgot one as well. He had the choice between asking the kid who picks his nose and eats his boogers and a girl with a jean jacket. The answer was pretty obvious. 

_Hey do you have a pencil by any chance_

_Um- I think so-_ The girl in the jean jacket replied, her voice was angelic to Big Red. The interaction was short and sweet, but he felt something. 

A week went by before he ended up introducing himself. Maybe it was anxiety over the test coming up, or the stunning beauty of the girl in the jean jacket- who he still didn't know the name of - but everytime it was time for math, he felt super nervous and fluttery. 

He kept stealing glances over the 45-minute period, making any sane person believe he was a psychopath. He wasn't really paying attention to the teacher, which wasn't the best choice, but he also zoned Ricky talking about Nini for the hundredth time out. He loved Ricky like a brother. But he was annoying at times. 

By the time math ended, he built up enough courage to go talk to the girl in the jean jacket. And he only thought about dropping out once. He had this in the bag. 

"Hey" He said, walking up to the girl "I never formally introduced myself, I'm Ricky." Shit "I mean n-not Ricky. That's my friend. I'm Big Red."

The girl giggled. _Her laugh is perfect._ "Big Red is a unique name"

"Yeah" He smiled a bit

"Mine is kinda common to an extent." She admitted "Ashlyn." 

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you" Ashlyn smiled. _God. Her smile is perfect too._

 _"_ I-I should actually get going." Big Red replied "I have Miss. Jenson for science and she would not appreciate me being late."

"Well I see you around then, Big Red." 

"You too." He smiled 

* * *

He'd never admit it, but math and lunch were probably the best parts of his day. Everytime he looked at or thought of Ashlyn - who he later realized was Ashlyn Caswell - he melted. There was _something_ about her that Big Red couldn't stop thinking about. She was just so _perfect._

"You ok Red?" Ricky asked at lunch later that day "You've been looking in the direction of the gym for 10 minutes." 

"Hmm?" 

"You've been-" Ricky sighed "Nevermind."

"Sorry Ricky." Big Red apologized "I just got caught up in something." 

"The gym?" Ricky questioned

"Y-yeah the gym," 

"Weird but you do you, Nini's in my gym this semester so I'm happy." 

As Ricky rattled on about Nini and how perfect she was, Big Red couldn't keep his eyes off Ashlyn. Everything about her was perfect: her laugh, hair, personality, everything. 

* * *

He'd never admit it but: he had a big fat crush on Ashlyn Caswell. 

He realized in Freshmen year. He found himself excited to have more than one class with Ashlyn and couldn't get her off his mind at night. While Ricky was head over heels for Nini, Big Red had thought of Ashlyn as a close friend. That of course changed once he caught himself doodling 'BR + AC' in his notebook like a schoolgirl. The two continued to hang out more and more, as _friends._

He didn't want to lose this friendship. So he kept his crush a secret. Which was harder than he thought. Everytime he talked to her he just wanted to say how much he loved her. 

He also had a hard time keeping it from Ricky. Which is why it came out during a drunken game of Truth or Dare. Ricky was too drunk to remember, but it still came out. 

"Ok dude my turn," Ricky Slurred "Who do you have a crush on?"

"Ashlyn Caswell." Big Red blurted

"Caswell? Like E.J. the asshole Caswell?" 

"I think they're cousins." 

"That's lit." 

"Never say lit again Ricky." 

* * *

Big Red would never admit it, but he kinda liked musicals. 

Ricky broke off his one-year relationship with Nini, which was the longest relationship he's ever had. And he wouldn't stop talking about Nini.

"Today's the day Big Red," Ricky said as they walked into school "It's happening."

"Hell yeah, Junior year baby." Big Red smiled "Might grow a mustache this year, might do a lot of things." _Might ask out Ashlyn._

"Dude, I'm taking about Nini," _oh. Nini. "_ Today's the day we start over."

_The day we start over._

And somehow starting over ends the two at auditions for High School Musical. Never has a musical seemed quite Big Red's style. He planned to leave after Ricky finished his audition, which was awkward as hell for everyone. But once he spotted Ashlyn, he decided it might not seem so bad. 

"So who did you audition for?" He asked as he approached Ashlyn 

"Miss Darbus," Ashlyn replied "She's always seemed ambitious to me." 

"Well there is no way you couldn't get the role, you are amazing." 

"Thank you, Big Red."

"I'm only telling the truth," 

The two exchanged a smile before Ricky pulled Big Red away, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.

* * *

Thanksgiving was a disaster. 

For some people. But it was one of the best nights for Big Red. 

The mood kinda got killed after Gina left, and people slowly started to leave. Big Red thought about leaving but decided to help clean up because Ashlyn was his _friend._ And he wanted more lobster dip. 

"You don't have to do this you know." Ashlyn insisted

"I know but my basement isn't going anywhere." He assured "Sorry, by the way, that your sleepover didn't happen." 

"It's okay, the mood kinda got killed." 

"Yeah." He agreed "I hope Gina's ok." 

"That's kinda what you do. You care for everyone." 

"Yeah... It's whatever." He sighed "I liked your Sara Bareilles type song, the one you wrote for Ms. Darbus." 

"Did someone tell you to say that because that is all I've ever wanted to hear my whole life." 

"I've been listening to a lot of her music on shuffle and thought it sounded similar. You know, the notes."

"Yeah, the notes." 

Sometimes when looking back on this moment, he wished he told her how he felt. He wanted to tell her how perfect she was and everything he admired. But he didn't. 

"I-I should probably go." He started to walk towards the front door when Ashlyn stopped him. 

"Big Red?"

"Yeah?"

She paused "D-don't forget your dip." She grabbed the plastic bowl of the end table, handing it to him "Happy Thanksgiving Big Red." 

"You too, Ashlyn." 

* * *

Opening night came quickly. After the fire incident and the El Ray theatre fiasco, Miss. Jenn landed the gym for the show. Big Red was calm, he had bought flowers for Ashlyn because he knew that even if someone died tonight, she would steal the show. Ricky tried to preform a song for him that he wrote for Nini before leaving. Big Red wasn't against Ricky and Nini, he just felt a little awkward after nearly walking in on them kissing. 

He arrived at East High shortly after Ricky. He made the mistake of not taking a class on working a stage and realized he didn't know how to do anything. It was a disaster for the first fourth of the show, before Mr. Mazzara, who Big Red only spoke to once in freshman year, saved his ass. 

Once Big Red figured out the basic controls, he realized it was kinda like a video game which, not to toot his own horn, was his specialty. 

Mr. Mazzara was impressed, which Big Red assumed meant he was doing good. And by the end of the show, he had an offer to join robotics, he helped put on an amazing show, and he had enough confidence to tell Ashlyn how he felt. 

* * *

Speaking of, the flowers. No-one but Big Red knew who it was from, due to the fact he put the note in with the flowers, which wasn't the smartest thing, but they did find the note. After the show ended. 

Carlos was digging in the basket for about five minutes until he announced "We have a note!", He read aloud the words Big Red knew by heart. 

"E.J. Really?" Ashlyn smiled 

"I didn't write that." E.J. snorted

"I did." Big Red blurted

The room got quiet, as Big Red expected. But he wasn't embarrassed, he was glad he finally got that out. 

What he didn't expect, however, was to be kissed by Ashlyn Caswell in an empty gym. 

It was sudden. But the two seconds the two made contact, were by far the best two seconds of his life. 

"You have no idea how long I waited to do that." Ashlyn admitted

"You have no idea how much I want to do that again." 

After all, he fell for the girl in the jean jacket. 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why I thought of this or why I wrote this. We don't have enough Redlyn content though. I also accidentally deleted the whole Thanksgiving bit while writing so it's a lot worse than it was supposed to be😔


End file.
